Internal-combustion engine



Jan. 9, 1951 o. o. oAKs INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 22, 1946 INVENTOR Jan. 9, 1951 o. o. OAKS INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 22; 1946 INVENTOR O ION O-OAKS RNEY Patented Jan. 9, i951 -o .s TATJES INTERNAL-COMBUSTIGN ENGINE-rion 0. Oaks, Summit, Nrl assignor, by mesne assignments, to ihermalLiquids, Inc., New York,'N. Y.,' a corporationof DelawareAppIica'tiOnJune-ZZ, 1946J'Se1ial No. 6723;626

The xpresentsinvention relates to improved internal combustion engines.

More particularly, the invention is directed to improved combustionengines 'employinga liquid of zthe character of tetracresylsilicateserving as the cooling medium which is circulated in the cooling channelcircuit of the internal combustion engines such-as spark ignitedinternalcombustion engines of thetypes commonly employed :in thepropulsion of automobiles, airplanes, and

the like,. also :forDieselengines, jet propelled engines, etc.

Outstanding characteristics of tetracresylsilipate serving as suchcooling medium are its-boiling point-of approximately-:8l'7-825 itslowsolidi- Tying or freezing point below 65 F.,"at which last namedtemperature it becomes viscous, its

specific gravity of 1513, its specific heat of .43, its

low coefiicient of expansion approximately .000047 per 1 F., itsnon-poisonous, non-explosive, and

Tetracresylsilicate possesses the further advantage that throughout therange of temperature to which the cooling medium, pursuant .to theinvention, is subjected inthe operation of internal combustionengines,includingDiesel types of internal combustion engines,vaporization of the cooling medium is practically negligible.

By reason of the statedcharacteristicsof cooling media, vpursuant to theinvention, the usual is made for maintaining substantially uniformpressure effective upon the cooling medium throughout therange ofoperation of the-engine. Such provision of uniform pressure is 1preferably in the form ofsuitable =va1ve meansautomatically--operative-irom stage .tovstage of variation of the temiteratureof .thecooling medium incident to variation of the rate 'ofoperation of theengine, .;as Well as during 'the stage of starting from fcold and duringthe stage between shutting 'ofi of the engine and consequent loweringofthe temperature of the engineblocl: and of the-cooling medium fromoperating temperature to that of thesurrounding atmosphere.

.As appears fromtheabove, and referred to more specifically hereinafter,pursuant @to ,the .-inven 1 Claim. (01. 12341.1)

-perature expo-sure. commonly employed, pursuant to :present prac-.tion, all-danger of solidification of the cooling medium due to.treezing .or still lower outer atmospheric temperature, is'obviated,and hence no anti-freeze material is required underlow tem- Also,inhibiting r-materials tice, are :not needed.

An outstanding advantageof the invention is that incrustation-or =otherdeposit of impurities commonly experienced in theause of water as thecooling medium, is wholly eliminated. This advantage is-of particularvalue in the-cooling of Diesel engines, the range of operationtemperatures frequently exceeding 1000 F.

:Anotheroutstanding advantage, pursuant to the inventiom is that theengine, particularly of the automotive :type, -ma-y :be operated over ahigher range of temperature, :attended by an increase in .eiiiciencyiandconsequent-reduced consumptionnf vfuel and lower range of :reduction :oftemperatureof the cooling medium in the course of its circulation, thusreducing the requiredheat exchange suriacerof themadiator or othersupplemental =cooling device. Such reduced heat exchange surface of the-.radiator and consequent reduced. size and weight enables the radiatorto be directly supported upon -orintegral:withtheen- :xgineblock inthe'instanceof-the. automotive types of engines, andmarkedly-lowered-cost of cooling in the instance ofDiesel types ofengines.

:Among .nther substances of general character f tetracresylsilicateasacoolingmedium, pursuantto the invention, is tricresyl-phosphate, thepropertiesof whichinclude maintenanceof. liquid statusfrom -.65 at whichitis viscous, to 750 F., non-tom'ty, .non-corrosiVe-ness .to iron,steel, brass, cop-per andrubber, -a specific gravity of 1.12, a specificheatof .45 and boiling-,point'of 817 .at atmosphericpressure,

Ingeneral,cooling mediaapplicable to the invention possessthecattributes .of having. a solidiiyin temperature :below the minimumtemperature of the outer -=atmosphere at the location of use vof theimproved internal combustion engine, a boiling ,pcintexceeding 300within which temperaturemange of such solidifyin point and toiling-pointthe vaporization of the cooling me- --.dium issubstantially negligible,also non corrosire with respect 'to :steel, iron, copper, brass, bronzeand the like, and t rubber and other materials employed-lathe structureof the cooling channel circuit, also non-explosive and non-toxic, anddesirably also non-poisonous, and further having such coeflicient ofexpansion that when raised, to the maximum range of tem at the stage ofoperation of the combustion engine, the expanded volume of the coolingmedium 'is less than the capacity of the cooling channel circuit,assuming that the volume of such cooling medium charged into the coolingchannel circuit at atmospheric temperature is suflicient to form thereina substantially continuous body of the cooling medium to affordcirculation of the cooling medium in the cooling channel circuit.

In addition the cooling medium po sesses the characteristic of beingimmune to oxidization by air, with or without the presence of moistureor water, within the full range of temperature of the full gamut of oeration and non-operation of the combustion engine.

Further features and obiects of the invention will be more fullyunderstood from the following detailed description and the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. l is aside elevation of an internal combustion engine, of thegeneral type employed in automobiles, equipped with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the radiator shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed central sectional view, on an enlarged scale, ofthe valve component of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1. This viewillustrates the positions of the parts of the valve means at the stageof non-operation of the engine and also at the stage of normal operationof the engine.

Fig. 4 is a central sectional elevation similar to that of Fig. 3, butshowin the positions of the parts of the valve means at the stages ofstarting of the engine and during the period from starting toward thestage of normal operation.

Fig. 5 is a central sectional elevation similar to Figs. 3 and 4, butillustratin the positions of the parts of the valve means during thestage of shutting off of the engine and the cooling of the coolingmedium to the outer atmospheric temperature.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional elevation of a Diesel type of engineequipped with my invention.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic elevation of an improved internal combustionengine, shown of the automotive type, equipped with a radiator ofreduced heat exchange surfaces and supported unitarily with the engineblock.

Referring to Figs. 1 through 5, ID designates generally a type of engineillustrated as an interj M to the upper compartment of the radiator II,

thence through the radiator, discharging through the outlet of theradiator, indicated at l5, shown connected by the hose It to the pipell, then through the pump l8, then to the inlet of and through thecooling channels of the engine block,

in return path to the radiator. As shown, and typical of many automobilety es of motors, the pump is indicated as driven by a countershaft whichconcomitantly drives the fan (9, which cooperates With the radiator inthe cooling of the cooling medium.

Fig. 1 illustrate also the typical individual supports of the engine I0and the radiator H, the

radiator H being mounted stationarily relative to the chassis of theautomobile and the engine l8 mounted on a cushion pad or equivalent,supported by the chassis, in which forms of individual mountings of theradiator and engine, the connections [3 and 16 are of flexible material,usually of rubber hose.

Pursuant to my invention, tetracresylsilicate is employed as the coolingmedium, which is suitably supplied to the engine-radiator assembly,illustrated as utilizing the usual filling opening Ha, see Figs. 3, 4and 5, advantageously located at or adjacent the top of the radiator II.

The volume of tetracresylsilicate charged into the cooling channelcircuit of the engine-radiator assembly, namely at outer atmospherictemperature, is less than the over-all volume of the interior of thecooling channel circuit, but sufficient to form a continuous mass of thecooling medium to afiord circulation of the cooling medium by the pump,air filling any remainder of the cooling channel circuit, which mayinclude the upper compartment of the radiator ll.

At such opening Ha, or equivalent opening leading to the upper portionof the cooling channel circuit, pursuant to the invention, there isprovided valve means V serving to release the air internally of thecooling channel circuit, while excluding entry of the outer atmosphericair, during the stage of starting the engine, at which stage the engineparts are heated'and therewith the cooling medium, serving also torestrict entry of the outer atmospheric air during the stage of normaloperation of the engine, and also to afford entry of the outeratmosphere inwardly of the cooling channel circuit during the stage ofstopping the engine and subsequent stage of the cooling of the coolingmedium and of the air internally of the cooling channel circuit.

The valve means serves throughout the stages of starting and of normaloperation and also of stopping and consequent cooling of the engine andappurtenant parts to maintain substantially uniform pressure within thecooling circuit substantially equal to that of the outer atmosphere.

By such construction and operation of my valve means, the rate ofcirculation of the cooling medium, effected by the indicated pump 48, orequivalent, is maintained in correspondence to the rate of drive of theautomobile or other vehicle powered by the engine, and the pressure ofthe air inwardly of the cooling channel circuit is maintainedsubstantially uniform, notwithstanding that the temperature of thecooling medium ranges from that of the outer atmosphere, namely, at thestage of starting of the engine, to an over-all operating temperaturedepending upon the rate of drive of the engine.

Also, by virtue of the valve means access of moisture, rain or the likeWithin the cooling channel circuit is substantially precluded. It willhe observed that in the circumstance that when any outer atmospheric airenters through the valve means, as when the engine has been stopped, thehigh temperature of the cooling medium evaporates any moisture or rainentrained with such entered air through the valve means, thus"discharging all moisture from the cooling channel circuit and preservingthe integrity ofithe cooling medium.

A preferred form of my valve means is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.Such preferred enrbodiment of my valve means comp-rises a cap 28, showndetachably mounted on the tube 2!, the

seat 128, shown screw-threacledly is'eate'd aat'the 1 upper terminus ofthe circular wall Iri'f theiisubhousingiz'i; the yalveseat has awalveripening-129, with whichrooperat'e's "the im'ovaole valve zmemher 30,normal-ly biased by the expansile spring 31 to clo'se the "valve opening229. V

libout the circular wall pf the sub-housing 'and the circular wall o'fthe upperportion ofithe housing "2-2 is thus formed an rannular chamher'32 which i is provided With one or more openings 33, le'aiiing to theouter-atmosphere. "The upper end of the h'ousin'g '22 of the *va'lvemeans is sealed by the cap 35 shownattache'cl to*the' upper portion ofthe housing by'ma'ting screw thr'eariin'g. Conveniently the expansilespring is "housed in the annular chamber it is iiesirabletoprovide asieve-or like element as is inclieated-at 13 in Fig."3,-'to excludedust-or other fore'ignmatter.

Fig. 3- illustrates *the'positicns of'the component par-ts or the valvemeans at the stage of 'non operation-of *the-enginepat which stag erscool ing medium is at the temperature of the outer atmosphere. Uniiersuch condition, anil assuming that the proper-amountofccoling metiiumhas been charged into the cooling channlm'eans, upon startingthe-eng'in'a-thetemperature offthe cooling medium'isgraduallyraisedfincludingthat of the air within the cooling 1 channel circuit,and accordingly upon the heating of such "inwardly 'containe'ii'air, itspressure is in'creasedfthus caus- .L 3

ing the rise'of thevalvemen'iber '28- above its valve seat 23, affordingflow of the heated "air aloout 'the'valv'emember 2'2, throughthe annularchamber 32 and escape throughthe'openings33'into theouteratm'ospheregasindicated bythe arrows 35, "as indicated 'in'Fig. '4.

"The positions "of the component parts of "the valve-means during thestage of starting of the engine to the stage of normal operation areindicated in Fig; 4.

Upon attaining normal operation of the engine,

the component parts of my valve 'means are in their respective positionsas shownin "Fig. 3 in which status *under the 'condition 'of'increase intemperature of the cooling medium, incident to operating the engine athigher speed, escape of air throughmy valve means ensues similarly asduring'the stage of starting from cold to the stageof normal operation,as in'dicatediin Fig. 4 and as above described.

During the stage of operation pf the engine, theLh'eattransmitted'through the 'enginellhlocklto the lcoo'ling medium in thecoolingichannell circuit is reduceu during its transit through theradiator, the reduction'being brought about-by thermal ex change withthe outer contacting the heat exchange surfaces of-the radiator, asin-the -instance of an automobile or like vehicle in transit, enhancedby the circulation of the fan.

. At the stage of stopping of the engine and convarrows 41, iafiorded byfdisplacernen't of the movable valve member 11311 againstits expansilespring :31 ,Tthenoe about the amovable'wa'lve member 9, 'Lthen throughthe-fopening :25 of the val-"ve plate 2'4, :andffinally into" the-upper' r'egion of the cooling channel circuit, such flow of the inwardair being continued until the status of equali-za- 7 tion of pressureand:eventualcooling-oi cooling liquid to the temperature of the puterair have taken place.

Desira'bly, thecap' -20 is secured imposition on the "head of the-tubeQ'Fby bayonet joint assembl-y agasket flbeing interposed.

-Figjl illustraies at t the employment of an expansion tank, 'the use orwhich is -'optional, as proven =-"by actual "tests'in the-Qperation ofan automotive type of engineuniiercommerciarcon- 'ditions, since the*d-im-ens'ion-s of the uppercompartment of a-conventional radiatoraiiords sxiificientexpansion of tetracresyl-silicate employed as-the"cooling'medium. In all "events, sufiioient capacity 'for expansionof 'tetracresylsilica'te or other cooling'media o'fllke characteristicsis afforded by providing siifiicient capacity in the upper compartment'th'era'diator.

In the employment Ora radiator of' lesserfheat exchange surfaces and"consequent "lessenweight.

such radiator 'may 'be mounted upon the "same nec-ted by the pipe'filwith the Tecouplin jlone end-- of which connects w'iththe pipe 353leading its the coil 5 i, shown'honsed .Wii'hinthe casing .55 to")? thecooler, the interior :of :the casing Ibeing supplied ivith coolingliquid, usuallyvcool or chilled watensupplid, say, throughwtheinletpipeBland discharging-through the outletipipefil The-re maining end of theT-coupling l 52 leads through the-pipeligito.theiexpansion tank 59whichismroviclecl at its upper opening 0 with the-valvemeans Vconstructed .in respect to its i-cornponent partsandloperatingcorrespondinglyzasthe valveimeans =V' hereinabove describedand illustrated in apreferred embodiment in-Eigs. .3, I4 :andfi.vThelower endofthecoilifiliis connect-ecl-totheinlet of the pump 49,; asindicated in Fig 5.

In the practice .of the .-invention, vthe=coo1ing medium, in theoperation of an automobile equipped vwith a conventional spark-ignitedinternal combustion engine, having its engine block of cast iron, andco-ordinated with a conventional radiator and conventionally geared fanand pump, ranges in temperature from approximately 214 F. toapproximately 230 F. in its course of circulation. In the practice ofthe invention in the operation of a Diesel type of internal combustionengine, the temperature of the cooling medium ranges from approximately100F. to approximately 300 F. By virtue of the valve means communicatingwith the upper compartment of the radiator, in the instance of thestated type of automotive engine, and with an upper portion of' thecooling circuit, in the instance of the Diesel type of combustionengine, the pressure of the air in the cooling circuit is maintainedsubstantially uniform at approximately the pressure of the outeratmospheric air whereby the cooling medium pursuant to the invention iscirculated without entrapment of air and consequently affordin freecirculation of the COOllllg medium.

In the instance of the operation of a Diesel engine, pursuant to theinvention, upon circulation of the cooling medium the air withinthecooling circuit is maintained above the level of the cooling mediumin the expansion tank and at a pressure substantially that of the outeratmosphere, notwithstanding variation of temperature of the coolingmedium due to variation of rate of operation of the Diesel engine.

Predicated upon the results of tests in the operation of an automobileequipped with the invention, a gain of over 50 per cent in mileage pergallon of gasoline was attained over a total run of over 3,000 miles ofoperation of the automobile at a speed not exceeding 40 miles per hour.These tests proved also the immunit of tetracresylsilicate to cast iron,steel, brass, rubber and other materials conventionally used in thecooling channel circuit, also the absence of depletion of thetetracresylsilicate, attainment of uniform pressure of the air withinthe upper compartment of the radiator, higher rate of transfer of heatfrom the engine cylinders to the cooling medium, lower power loss incooling of the coolin medium, substantiating the practical use of aradiator of materially less surface area of radiation and consequentlesser weight of radiator, as well as total absence of solidification ofthe cooling medium at low atmospheric temperature and absence of boilingof the cooling medium, and the maintenance of integrity of the coolingmedium throughout the total run.

The invention is of outstanding advantage in the cooling of Dieselengines, by virtue of the maintenance of integrity of the cooling mediumat the high range of temperature to which the cooling medium issubjected in the combustion of the fuel-air mixtures pursuant to the.Diesel principle, and without giving rise to any incrustation or otherdeposit within the cooling circuit, absence of corrosion of metal andother material of the component parts of the cooling circuit, absence ofevaporation of the cooling medium and. consequent avoidance ofreplenishment of the cooling medium, and increased conversion of heatenergy into power output of the engine.

From the above, it is apparent thatthe invention provides for animproved internal combustion engine employing a cooling medium of thestated character and providing eilective cooling of the concerned engineparts to afford substantially complete combustion of the fuel, either'by spark ignition or by pressure explosion, and adequate lubrication bythe lubricating oil em ployed, whereby an increase in percentage of theenergy generated by the combustion is converted into delivered power ofthe engine.

The invention resides also in the improved assembly of an engine block,illustrated in Fig. 7 as of the automotive type, indicated generally 10,and a radiator 65 of reduced heat exchange surfaces supported unitarilywith the engine block as by support of the radiator by the inflow tube66 and outflow tube 61 forming part of the cooling circuit, the engineblock being per se supported upon a resilient pad or' equivalent, theupper compartment of the'radiator 65 being provided with the above setforth valve means V, having the construction and operating ashereinabove described and as illustrated on enlarged scale in Figs. 3, 4and 5. In such construction, to insure suflicient capacity for theexpansion of p the cooling medium, it is preferable to provide anexpansion chamber 59 co-ordinated with the valve means V, similarly asis illustrated in Fig. 6. Such improved radiator is suitably locatedwith respect to a fan 19, in the assembly of internal combustion enginesof the automotive type.

The engine is equipped otherwise with conventional appurtenant partssuch as the pump (not shown) for circulating the coolin medium, andother appurtenant parts.

The invention is also applicable for internal combustion enginesemployed on airplanes, the engines or motors of many types of which arenot provided with fans, the extent of heat exchange surfaces of theradiator being selected'to effect adequate cooling of the cooling mediumto provide efiicient operation of the engine or motor,'in whichconstruction the employment of tetracresylsilicate or equivalent coolingmedium by virtue of the reduced range of cooling of such cooling mediumaflords the omission of a fan as a supplemental cooling instrumentality.

I claim:

In a closed cooling system for an internal combustion engine'using anorganic silicate as the liquid heat transfer medium and including aninternal combustion engine having passages for the heat transfermedium,- a radiator for cooling the heat transfer medium, and upper andlower connections between the radiator and the passages of the internalcombustion engine, an expansion tank connected in said upper connection,a normally closed pressure and vacuum relief valve connected in theradiator and means for circulating the organic silicate through theclosed system.

ORION O. OAKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,116,169 Tower Nov. 3, 19141,311,528 Muir July 29, 1919 1,456,072 Moss Ma 22, 1923 1,985,198Williams Dec. 18, 1934 2,070,588 Geisse Feb. 16, 1937 2,244,641 FeddersJune 3, 1941 2,335,012 .Johnston Nov. 23, 1943 2,353,966 Newcombe July18, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 497,056 Great Britain 1938

